CRUCIAL... Having their own training facilities is crucial to the development of the club squad.

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THIS weekés news that Dale are set to end their search for permanent training facilities has been welcomed by manager Steve Parkin.

The Dale boss has campaigned long and hard for the introduction of permanent facilities exclusive to the football club.

And this weekés news that council chiefs had given the go-ahead for a é75,000 development of an area at Bowlee, exclusively revealed in Observer Sport, was met with relief by Parkin.

éThis football club needs its own training facilities,é he stressed.

éWe have a number of good young players here é Grant Holt, Jamie Clarke, Leo Bertos and Scott Warner, to name but a few é and we need somewhere to train them so that their careers do not stand still.

éIf we are to improve them as players we need good quality facilities that are ours and ours alone to use.

éItés something Iéve been banging the drum about for a long time.é

While the deal has not yet been rubber-stamped, it is thought unlikely there will be any objections to the development of the site.

The new training facilities could be in place before the start of the 2005/06 season é by which time Parkin will be hoping to have a League One fixture list to contend with.

Following the Good Friday encounter at Southend, Daleés next obstacle in their pursuit of a play-off berth comes against Wycombe Wanderers on Monday, with Parkin predicting another entertaining encounter.

éThe games weéve had of late against the top sides have been every bit as entertaining as anything youéll see on television and I think Mondayés match will be just the same.

éThere is still a long way to go before the play-off places are decided and there are plenty of games to keep our season alive.

éWeéve had a run of exciting games against top opposition and performed really well é apart from Macclesfield away and the disappointment at Kidderminster. Ités been a tough run, but we are still in there, still in with a shout for a play-off position.é

If Dale can negotiate the Easter programme and the game against Bury away successfully they have two matches against Lincoln and Shrewsbury which could be crucial to their play-off ambitions.

Wycombe have been preparing for Mondayés game with an England World Cup winner in their ranks.

Lawrence Dallaglio joined the team for a few days in Spain last week where he gave team talks and joined in training with the squad.

Rochdale will play Bury at Spotland in the County Cup final on Monday 18 April.

The match kicks off at 7.30pm with the match broadcast live on Daleworld for those who cannot get to the game.